My Port Able Railway (HO Scale)

[Mike Kieran]

Here's the story and trackplan on my Port Able Railway:

The Port Able Railroad is a shortline located on the Massachusetts shoreline that took over an abandoned branchline of the Atlantic Lines in 1937. The end of passenger service after the closure of Neptune Park amusement park in 1935 and low freight traffic due to the closure of the Port Able Shipbuilding Co. spelled doom for the Port Able Branch.

The line was originally 8 miles long, but it was cut back to 5 miles where the lines remaining freight customers were located. Trains went up the branch to Port Able locomotive first and returned to East Haven caboose first.

Fearing that shutting down the rail line would put them out of business in an already depressed economy, the three remaining freight customers on the line, Regina Manufacturing, Whist Building Supply, and the Nemo Fish Co. purchased the branch from the Atlantic Lines. Along with the purchase were an 0-4-0 tank engine and an old wood caboose.

The railroad has 7 miles of trackage (5 route miles) and serves the original 3 customers. Carloadings are over 300 cars per year and trains run twice a week (usually Monday and Thursday, or as needed).

An interesting feature of the railroad is that it has no runaround track. Since it branched off of the mainline at East Haven and continued on into Port Able's waterfront for the Port Able Ship Yard and ending at the beach/amusement park (Neptune's Park).

The layout is basically going to be a 72 inch by 45 inch loop of track with 5 turnouts, thus explaining the lack of a runaround track. Trains will be between 2 to 4 cars long plus the engine and caboose.
I'm modeling the summer of 1979 because I love the shortline Incentive Per Diem box cars that were all over American rails during the 1970's. I also have a few steam switchers around (I love those Varney diecast Lil Joes), so I can switch to a steam era with very few changes.

As an apartment dweller in Brooklyn, NY, space is at a premium. The name of the railroad explains its concept. The layout comes apart into 2 36 inch by 42 inch pieces to be (portable) and it will sit on my dining room table (por table). I've been toying with this layout design for 10 years and came to the realization that I was over designing my layout. I then decided to keep everything simple in design, concept, and cost. While it's not a groundbreaking design, it will keep me happy for many years to come.
The Port Able Railway has only 3 customers, Regina Manufacturing Corp., Whist Building Supply Inc., and Nemo Fish Co. Regina Manufacturing receives up to 4 box cars (hardware, parts, and packaging) and ships out up to 2 box cars per week. Whist Building Supply receives up to 2 covered hoppers per week (building aggregate). Nemo fish ships out 2 reefers per week (frozen fish). The engine house has its fuel delivered by a local fuel company and pumped straight into the locomotive’s fuel tanks.





Building Guide
A – Interchange with the Atlantic Lines Railroad
B – Port Able Railway Caboose Storage
C – Port Able Railway Office
D – Port Able Railway Engine House & Shops
E – Regina Manufacturing Corp.
F – Whist Building Supply Inc.
G – Nemo Fish Co.
H – End Of Track
X – hinge that allows the Port Able Railway to fold into 2 36"x42" halves.

Port Able Railway Carload Chart
Regina Manufacturing Corp.
Inbound:
4 box cars (hardware, parts)
Outbound:
2 box cars (manufactured goods)

Whist Building Supply Inc.
Inbound:
2 covered hoppers (cement, sand, & gravel)

Nemo Fish Co.
Outbound:
2 reefers (frozen fish)

The Carload Chart helps me to figure out how many cars my railroad can handle at max capacity. The chart helps me to figure out how many cars will enter and leave the railroad in one week. The railroad runs twice a week unless a special move is needed.

In my case, the Port Able Railway handles a maximum of 8 cars a week inbound (two days a week, so a maximum of 4 cars inbound per day) and a maximum of 4 cars outbound per week (or 2 cars per day). If your railroad handles more traffic, then you can adjust the minimum/maximum carloadings on the die.

I roll a die numbered 2 – 4 (blank dice with 2, 3, & 4 each on two sides of the die) to determine how many inbound loads are at the interchange. I then pull the amount of cards from an index card file box that are placed in a 2:1:1 sequence of Manufacturing to Building Supply. Blank die can usually be purchased at a teacher’s store, but gaming stores have a variety of multisided die for war gamers.

[cnw1961]

I know all about space being at a premium, so I like how you are dealing with it. Looking forward to seeing your shortline come alive.

[Sumpter250]

Sounds like you have struck a very happy bargain with life.

[MountainMan]

I'm looking forward to seeing this development!

[Mike Kieran]

Thanks alot guys. I plan on building it in the next few weeks.

[shortliner]

You might like to have a look at editing your post - it seems to have everything in there twice!

[Mike Kieran]

Thanks Shortliner, I'll contact the moderators to adjust this problem.

[Sumpter250]

You might like to have a look at editing your post - it seems to have everything in there twice!

Done.

[Mike Kieran]

Thanks Pete. Sorry for the redundancy. My laptop does that a lot. Windows 7 is giving me fits.

[Mike Kieran]

My new Port Able Railway (56x42 inches). I took a page out of John Allen's book and widened my layout by 4 inches so that I can add the engine house to the outside of the loop and have more room for Regina Manufacturing Corp. Here's the revised story:

The Port Able Railroad is a shortline located on the Connecticut shoreline that took over an abandoned branchline of the Atlantic Lines in 1937. The end of passenger service after the closure of Neptune Park Amusement Park in 1935 and low freight traffic due to the closure of the Port Able Shipbuilding Company, spelled doom for the Port Able Branch.

The line was originally 8 miles long, but it was cut back to 6 miles where the lines remaining freight customers were located. Trains went up the branch to Port Able locomotive first and returned to the interchange at Twain Street caboose first.

Fearing that shutting down the rail line would put them out of business in an already depressed economy, the three remaining freight customers on the line, Regina Manufacturing, Whist Building Supply, and the Nemo Fish Co. purchased the branch from the Atlantic Lines. Along with the purchase were an 0-4-0 tank engine and an old wood caboose.

The railroad has 8 miles of trackage (6 route miles) and still serves the original 3 customers. Car loadings are about 300 cars per year and trains run twice a week (usually Monday and Thursday, or as needed).

An interesting feature of the railroad is that it has no runaround track. Since it branched off of the mainline at East Haven and continued on into Port Able's waterfront for the Port Able Ship Yard and ending at the beach/amusement park (Neptune Park).

The Port Able Railway has only 3 customers remaining: Regina Manufacturing Corp., Whist Building Supply Inc., and Nemo Fish Co. Regina Manufacturing receives up to 2 box cars (hardware, parts, and packaging) and ships out up to 1 box car per week. Whist Building Supply receives up to 2 covered hoppers per week (cement). Nemo fish ships out 2 reefers per week (frozen fish). The engine house has its fuel delivered by a local fuel company and pumped straight into the locomotive’s fuel tanks.

The layout is basically going to be a 56 inch by 42 inch loop of Atlas Code 83 track with 3 Snap Track turnouts. Trains will be between 2 to 3 cars long plus the engine and caboose.

I'm modeling the summer of 1979 because I love the shortline Incentive Per Diem box cars that were all over American rails during the 1970's. I also have a few steam switchers around (I love those Varney diecast Lil Joes), so I can switch to a steam era with very few changes.

As an apartment dweller in Brooklyn, NY, space is at a premium. The name of the railroad explains its concept. The layout comes apart into two 28 inch by 42 inch pieces to be (portable) and it will sit on my dining room table (por table). I've been toying with this layout design for 10 years and came to the realization that I was over designing my layout. I then decided to keep everything simple in design, concept, and cost. While it's not a groundbreaking design, it will keep me happy for many years to come.

I’m going with a smaller layout and small trains because I’m building this layout on a budget as well as justifying an 8 hour shift for the engine crew. With 2-3 car trains plus the engine and caboose, you need a minimal number of freight cars. The loop allows me to build up mileage as well as use the curves for double duty as switching leads and interchange tracks. I run 2 1/2 laps to achieve my mileage.

If I’m showing off the layout or breaking in an engine, I can just have the engine run round and round without having to monitor the layout diligently.

Port Able Railway Track Plan



The yellow line through the middle of the track plan marked x is the line to show where the layout folds into two 28x42 inch pieces.

Port Able Railway Carload Chart
Regina Manufacturing Corp.
Inbound: Outbound:
2 box cars (hardware, parts) 1 box car (manufactured goods)

Whist Building Supply Inc.
Inbound: Outbound:
2 covered hoppers (cement)

Nemo Fish Co.
Inbound: Outbound:
2 reefers (frozen fish)

The Carload Chart helps me to figure out how many cars my railroad can handle at max capacity. The chart helps me to figure out how many cars will enter and leave the railroad in one week. The railroad runs twice a week unless a special move is needed.

In my case, the Port Able Railway handles a maximum of 6 cars a week inbound (two days a week, so a maximum of 3 cars inbound per day). If your railroad handles more traffic, then you can adjust the minimum/maximum car loadings on the die.

I roll a die numbered 1 – 6 to determine how many inbound loads are at the interchange. Odd numbers mean three cars at the interchange; even numbers mean 2 cars at the interchange. I then pull the amount of cards from an index card file box with each customer shuffled randomly.

I also worked out a schedule for the train crew for the days that they are running:

Schedule:
0800hrs. Start up at the engine storage.
0900hrs. Pick up the train at the interchange.
0930hrs. Travel to the customers at Industry Avenue.
1015hrs. Switch the customers.
1130hrs. Lunch.
1230hrs. Switch the customers.
1345hrs. Travel to the interchange.
1430hrs. Drop off the train at the interchange.
1500hrs. Shut Down at the engine storage.
1600hrs. End of shift.

Let me explain what all of this mumbo jumbo means. I will be working with a 12:1 fast clock ratio which means each hour is scaled down to 5 minutes and each mile is scaled down to 5 feet.

At 8AM, the engineer gets the engine started & warmed up while the conductor gets the paperwork together with the switch lists, waybills, and wheel reports. At 9AM, the crew goes out to the interchange and releases the manual brakes on the freight cars. The crew then returns with the train to the engine storage and picks up the caboose. We then do an air brake test and proceed

At 9:30AM, the crew takes the train down the line to its customers. The mileage on this part is 4 miles and the train will be traveling at 10 mph, so the journey will take 21 minutes. There are 7 road crossings along the route, so I figure that it will take 3 minutes for the train to come to a stop, the conductor comes off the engine, flags the crossing, lets the train cross, climbs back on the engine, and continues on. This brings the total trip to 45 minutes.

We then switch the customers while hooking and unhooking the air brakes, processing the paperwork, and most of all, coupling & uncoupling. We’ll take a 1 hour lunch break at 11:30AM and then reverse the process, except the conductor will ride in the caboose while the engine shoves the train back to the interchange.

[Ralph]

I like the concept Mike and I'm glad you were able to expand your space a little more to accommodate the engine house. For such a seemingly simple plan it has great operational potential and is set up well, I think. Clever to use part of the loop as the interchange traffic source.

Ralph

[Tyson Rayles]

As Ralph said the concept is solid and the track plan has more operational possibilities than you would think at first glance. Have you ever considered what you could do in the space if you switched to the Normal scale? Whatever the scale I'm looking forward to seeing this take shape!

[Mike Kieran]

Thanks Ralph,

There's going to be three grade crossings on the loop, so there will be one on the right side of the layout by the End of track to separate the interchange and the end of track. I can also run it as a simple switching layout beginning and ending at the end of track grade crossing. Any ideas will always be appreciated.

[Mike Kieran]

Hey Tyson,

I considered N Scale at one time, but I like the ability to detail as well as the availability of parts, structures, equipment, etc. in HO Scale. I also figured that something this small can be transported anywhere and if I move, it will always fit. I also figured that this size of a layout would be a good balance of time and resources.

[Ralph]

There's going to be three grade crossings on the loop, so there will be one on the right side of the layout by the End of track to separate the interchange and the end of track. I can also run it as a simple switching layout beginning and ending at the end of track grade crossing. Any ideas will always be appreciated.

I like it that you can run a train around the loop as much as you want to simulate distance on the run to the industries, or just switch them right away depending on your mood. I've found that flexibility keeps my layout fun.

Hey, that's a good idea to create some sort of obvious visual divide between the interchange and "end of track". Do you have scenic plans for that space in the loop on the right side? Buildings, scenery? I'm impressed with the creative use of available space. I'm filing your ideas away for a future time when my wife and I are in a retirement condo or something when I won't have my basement train room.